


Falling Away with You

by sgteam14283



Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, Gen, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11720868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgteam14283/pseuds/sgteam14283
Summary: Natasha wants to hide from the world. Then Clint Barton appears with the circus and throws that plan out the window.





	Falling Away with You

**Author's Note:**

> written for be_compromised's Summer Prompt-athon (supernatural prompt). Slight crossover with Midnight, Texas (like so slight I'm not even going to tag it) and is an AU where Clint doesn't leave Carson's Circus. Don't own anything that you recognize. Enjoy!

Sometimes the outside world got to be too much. 

Or someone started asking too many questions and Natasha knew that they were close to discovering her secret. That’s when she threw everything she cared about into the back of her pickup and headed to the one place where no one cared that she was different.

Driving through Midnight for the first time in thirty years, Natasha wasn’t surprised at how little it had changed. A new sign here, new coat of paint there, and it looked like the church had finally gotten a preacher but it was still the same from when she was last here. Smack in the middle of nowhere Texas, the nearly deserted town had become home to those who were…different but found acceptance, sometimes even solace, within its boarders. Walking into the diner, she headed towards the back where those from the actual town congregated; Lemuel giving her his normal stare as she sat down next to him with a beer in hand.

“Red this time?” He asked in his quite voice.

“Thought I’d go for something different.” Natasha said with a wink and took a sip of the cool beer.

“How long are you here this time?” 

Natasha is silent, idly playing with the bottle before she speaks. “Not sure. Maybe awhile.”

“Good. You look like you could use some rest.” And Natasha knew that for the first time in a long time, she was home.

Settling into a small house off the main road, Natasha worked part time at the diner while doing the odd contract every now and then; making sure her skills didn’t get rusty. Time passed and Natasha felt herself relaxing, falling into the routine that only a small town could give and it felt good. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Then the circus came to town.

—

Clint Barton stepped out into the midday sun and was instantly greeted with the heaviness that only Texas heat and humidity could bring. He didn’t know why Carson’s had decided to set up in the ass-end of Texas, but if it brought them a paycheck then who was he to complain? Stretching after hours of being cooped up in their truck, Clint tossed the keys to Barney while asking, “Help me unhitch the trailer and I’ll go into town for some lunch.” 

“Casing already?” Barney asked, catching the keys with ease and making his way towards the trailer that held their gear. 

“We’re on a break remember.” Clint could see the small town in the distance and wondered how it was still standing, there was nothing as far as he could see that would at least explain as to why it was here-not even a factory.

Driving into the tiny town Clint idly whistled to himself as he sauntered towards the diner, passing the pawn shop and tattoo parlor. Greeted with a blast of AC as he stepped into the diner, Clint walked up towards the bar and stared into the eyes of the redhead in front of him-suddenly speechless but not sure why.

Natasha looked up when the door opened and raised an eyebrow at the stranger that came walking in like he didn’t have a care in the world. Almost instantly she was on guard because those were the ones you had to be especially careful of, but meeting his eyes was struck by how hardened they were. Clearing her throat to hide her fluster she smiled at him, “Help you?”

“Uh…yeah. Two burgers and fries to go.” Clint said after a quick glance at the menu. The red head went to put the order in and was back soon, pouring a glass of water for him as he waited.

“You just passing through?” Natasha asked casually, trying to still figure the man out. For as long as she’d been around, she could normally get a read on people pretty quickly but this one…he was still a mystery to her.

“Here with the circus just outside of town. We’re here for a few weeks, you should come see it.” Clint said, turning on his charm. Barney called him a shameless flirt, but didn’t complain when everyone’s attention was on him and Barn could do whatever needed to get done without notice.

“The circus? Like with tigers jumping through a hoop and people riding on elephants?” 

“Nah, we’ve pretty much retired all the animal acts so we do a lot of stunts. Kinda like Cirque du Soleil with a vintage circus feel.”

“And what do you do?” 

“Me?” Clint smiled, he never got tired of telling people his job. “I’m an archer.”

"An archer?” Natasha raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Yup. And I never miss.” 

“Not once?” 

“Never miss a shot.” 

“That’s impressive.” Natasha couldn’t help but smile a little as Madonna brought out the to-go order. “I have to say that you have my attention…”

“Clint.”

“I might have to actually see this act of yours.” She handed Clint his order and noticed the well-worn wallet he pulled out to pay. 

Clint felt his face start to burn as she glanced at his near empty wallet but pushed the feeling down, knowing they’d be getting paid soon one way or another. “I didn’t catch your name.” 

“Natasha. Have a nice day Clint.”

“See you around Natasha.” Clint gave Natasha a wink as he picked up the bag and sauntered on out, faintly whistling.

Natasha watched Clint leave and was still stuck on the guy, there was something about him that wouldn’t just go away. Mentally shrugging, she focused on the rest of her shift and spotted the giant tent going up in the distance on her way home-wondering if it was a good thing that the circus had come to Midnight.

—  
Natasha looked at the envelope with her name on it, not sure what to say. Looking up at the kid (because that’s the only way she could describe the barely-legal-to-drive guy standing in front of her) she asked, “For me?”

“Yeah. Hawk-Clint said that he wanted to make sure you got a good view of his act.”

The kid started to faintly blush while talking and Natasha wondered if Clint makes this a habit in every town they stop in. “Thanks.” Natasha smiled and the kid beat a hasty retreat back into the Texas afternoon. She stared at the envelope for a few seconds and then opened it, seeing that there were two general admission tickets with wristbands for the amusement rides and a note. Shoving the envelope in her purse as the lunch rush starts, Natasha didn’t think about it until she’s home and it fell onto the floor.

Looking at it, she wondered why he sent her tickets. Because she hadn’t seen Clint since that first day, although plenty of circus workers had come to the diner since. There had been a guy that looked like him, but Natasha had gotten a weird vibe so she didn’t ask if he knew Clint. Reading the note though, it said to enjoy the tickets and if she came on Friday to meet him by the ferris wheel after the main tent show. Knowing that she was going to regret it, Natasha picked up her phone and quickly texted Fiji because there were two tickets and if she was going to make a mistake at least she’d drag her friend along with it.

Backstage during the show was always chaotic: people finishing up or taking off their make-up, adjusting their costumes, getting to the entrance while trying to get past those who had just finished, fixing the latest snafu, and just trying to get through the night’s performance in general. But Clint always liked the bustle and after adjusting his mask did one last check on his bow and quiver, making sure that everything was ready for the act. Just as he was about to head towards the main tent, Barney appeared besides him slightly breathless. “Barney, what the hell? How are you not ready?” Clint grabbed him by the arm to pull him off to the side. “Swordsman’s pissed that you weren’t at rehearsal this afternoon.”

“Chill Clint, just doing a little research.” Barney gave Clint a quick wink. “I thought I told him I wasn’t going to be there, I’ll straighten it out afterwards.” 

“Whatever, just get into your costume-we’re on in ten.” Clint let go of Barney’s arm and stalked off towards the stage entrance. Cooling down while he waited, Clint hoped that Natasha was there; he didn’t know what made him send those tickets, maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t been able to get Natasha out of his thoughts since that first day. There was something about her that drew Clint in and wouldn’t let go, but he had no idea what or even why.

A bump on his shoulder drew Clint out of his thoughts and it’s Barney. “We’re on.” Barney said flashing an easy smile before striding out into the main ring.

“ _Ladies and Gentlemen, the Amazing Hawkeye and Trickshot!_ ”

Clint took a deep breath, like he did before every show, and followed his older brother.

Natasha clapped with the rest of the crowd, it was pretty packed for a Friday night, and watched as two men in purple costumes ran out into the arena holding bows and quivers on their backs. As their act progressed it was clear which one was Clint, he was the shorter of the two and he never missed. His partner always hit the target, maybe not where he intended it, but Clint always hit the bullseye and the crowd loved it. Their act was a cross between a daredevil show and an archery contest, both Hawkeye and Trickshot upping the ante with how they took their shots. First it was stationary, then moving targets, then with an apple on the others head, blindfolded and the arrows lit in fire, then for the finale Hawkeye climbed up onto the high wire and shot a bullseye on the ground. 

The crowd loved it all, and even Natasha found herself holding her breath as he stood high above the ground. After they gave their bows, Natasha watched the retreating figures disappear and the next act appear. The rest of the show passed in a exciting blur and Natasha promised Fiji that she’d keep in contact before heading towards the ferris wheel. There she found Clint already waiting and smiled as she walked towards him. “Pretty good show Hawkeye.” 

After they’d grabbed enough fried food to feed a small group, they walked through the amusement rides and carnival games until they were on the edge of the lot. “So what brings the circus to Midnight?”

Clint shrugged and looked in the distance, “Hell if I know. Mostly we travel around the big cities maybe hit up a few of the smaller ones during the off-season. How long have you been in Midnight?” 

“A few years.” Natasha lied, avoiding Clint’s glance because lying was easier than the truth. “How long have you been with Carson’s?” 

“Since I was thirteen, guess you could say I’m a lifer. But it’s nice, seeing the different sites.”

“Why did you send me the tickets?” Natasha asked, since she arrived at the fairgrounds the question had been burning at the back of her mind.

Clint ran a hand through his hair and let out a puff of breath before answering. “This might sound weird but…I feel like I was meant to? I mean, since I walked into the diner I’ve been feeling like I’ve known your forever but-”

Natasha crushed her lips to Clint, cutting him off. Once he started explaining she realized that was the same feeling she’d been having since meeting him. The kiss is full of heat and they kiss under the stars until breathing becomes a concern. Pulling back from Clint, Natasha’s heart is pounding and felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Seeing that it’s a text from Fiji, she's pulled back to reality and realized that she just broke her most important rule.

Don’t get attached.

“I…need to go.” she said in a rush, scrambling up and beating a hasty retreat back towards the lights of the fun rides.

Everything happened so fast it took a moment for Clint to process it. Slowly standing, he watched as Natasha high-tailed it back to the carnival and was confused about everything that had just happened.

—

After that night Natasha avoids the circus, turning down invites from other friends and trying not to stare at the lights as she walked home after her shift at the diner. But she couldn’t help but overhear the gossip from the ranchers and whoever else came into the diner; people and a few animals had gone missing since Carson’s had set up. “ _People go missing so of course they blame the circus._ ” Natasha thought, but wondered if there actually was a connection. She looked at Lemuel, asking a silent question, but he just shrugged and sauntered out of the diner.

Clint focused on the fletching on the arrow and tried to tune out Barney’s rambling. 

“-in there yesterday and it looks like the tattoo parlor’s a better target.”

At that though, Clint paused the repairs he was making and looked up. “You do know that the sheriff’s been poking around because of the disappearances right? Besides, you said after Des Moines we were going to take a break from the crime.”

Barney scowled, “Well that was before Carson hired the new accountant and switched the codes on the safes. Swordsman needs some quick cash to pay back a loan and I said we'd cover him.”

Clint groaned and resisted the urge to smack Barney, he loved his brother but sometimes he wondered how they were ever related. And knowing that the Swordsman wouldn’t give up until he got the money Clint let out a sigh and said, “Fine…I'll go into Midnight and poke around.”

“And see that pretty waitress?” 

“Barney…”

“What? Craig told me you were pretty friendly with her after the first show.”

Clint just shot Barney a look and refused to answer the question, no matter how right Barney was. Since that night he’d looked for Natasha in the stands, but she hadn’t come back and Clint hadn’t been back into town either. They were both avoiding each other and sooner or later one of them had to give.

So on his night off he went into Midnight, did a quick scope of the tattoo parlor, and headed towards the diner. But he couldn’t force himself to go in so he just stood in front of the door, feeling stupid for even considering the fact that Natasha might want to talk to him.

“You going to stand there all night?” 

Clint blinked and saw the man in front of him with bright blue eyes. “Uh…sorry.” Clint said before turning around to head back to the truck. " _This was a stupid idea._ " 

“If you hurt her, there are plenty of people who will make your life a living hell.” 

Clint paused at the statement and turned around to face the man. “Sorry?” 

“Just talk to Natasha.” Lemuel said before he passed Clint and headed towards the pawn shop to start his shift.

“ _Right. This place is just weird. Even by my standards._ ” Clint thought as he watched the man cross the street. Taking a deep breath, he turned around once again and headed towards the diner. Walking in he saw that the place was nearly empty and Natasha was walking out the back, clearly having just finished her shift. “Hey.” he said, giving a small wave. “Can we talk?”

Natasha stopped short when she saw Clint and was half-temped to get Lem back in here so he could throw Clint out, but something made her pause. It might have been the fact that he looked so awkward standing there or that he was asking to just talk. “My place?”

“Sounds good.” Clint said as he followed Natasha out of the diner and down the road.

They walked in silence, each not sure what to say, until they arrived at Natasha’s house. As Clint walked up the little sidewalk leading to the door, he was slightly surprised at how big it was for just one person. But then again he lived in a trailer with another person so even a two-room apartment would be palatial for him.

“Drink?”

“Beer if you have it.” Clint said as he shut the door and glanced around the room. It was sparsely decorated for someone who had been there for years and walking towards the mantle saw that she had photographs scattered across it. A closer look at them revealed that they were all of the same person in different parts of the world; Paris, Budapest, Sao Paulo, even London.

And the person all looked like Natasha.

“My great-great-aunt, she liked to travel. People say I look like her.” Clint slightly jumped at Natasha speaking right beside him and turned to see her wearing a forced smile with two beers in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. “Want a cookie?”

“Sure.” Clint bit into the cookie and was surprised at how it tasted like it had just been removed from the oven an hour ago-the warm spices melting over his tongue and it reminded him vaguely of the ones his mother used to bake. “These are really good.”

“I’ll thank Fiji. She’s always baking them.” Natasha set the plate of cookies down and handed Clint his beer. She felt slightly guilty for giving him a hexed cookie, but it only lasted a second because she still didn’t know what Clint wanted. “Not performing tonight?”

Clint shrugged as he made his way to the couch, “It’s my night off." 

“And you decided to come see me?”

“Yeah…I know it was weird the last time I saw you and if I freaked you out with talk of fate I didn’t mean to. It’s just…well I guess Casey’s wearing off on me.”

“Casey?”

“The fortune teller, sorry. He’s always going on about ‘fate’ and ‘soul mates’ and all that stuff.”

“So you don’t believe in that?” 

Clint took a sip of his beer while considering the question. “Maybe? I guess I’m still waiting for that thunderbolt to hit when I meet them. What about you?”

“I’ve been around too long to think that’ll ever happen.” Natasha faintly smiled while taking a sip of her beer as well. Fiji’s cookies would’ve been working by now if Clint had any bad intentions so she allowed herself to slightly relax.

“Ran into a strange guy outside the diner, said that I needed to talk to you.” Clint said casually, trying to test the waters a little.

“That’s Lemuel, works the night shift at the pawn shop.” Natasha scowled, making a mental note to talk to the vampire and tell him to butt out of her business.

“He also said that people in Midnight would make my life hell if I hurt you.”

Natasha fought back a smile at the statement, “Yeah…we’re kinda protective of those who live here.”

“Kinda like the circus, we take care of our own.” Clint’s phone buzzed and a quick glance at it told him that it was Barney wanting to know where he was. “Sorry but I gotta go, my brother needs help setting up for tomorrow.”

Natasha stood when he did and walked Clint to the door. “I had a good time. And…you didn’t freak me out with talk of fate, I just…it’s been awhile since I’ve liked someone.”

Clint grinned while putting on his jacket, “So you do like me.”

Natasha returned the smile and rolled her eyes at the way Clint straightened up a bit at the statement. “Yes I do.” 

Clint stepped outside and turned around, “Good. Want to meet me after my act tomorrow? We can get burgers and…talk or whatever.”

Natasha leaned against the door and considered the proposal. “Sure, tomorrow’s my night off anyways.” 

“Good. I’ll see you then.” Clint gave Natasha a quick wave and made his way down the street towards his truck.

Watching him walk down the street, Natasha took a steadying breath, realizing that she was throwing caution to the wind but after being alone for so long it was nice to have somebody else in her life.

—

The week went by quickly, Natasha falling into an new routine; work, then meet Clint after his act finished or he’d meet her at the diner when her shift was over, they’d spend the night together, he'd leave for the circus and she’d go back to her life in Midnight, repeat. She finally felt content and like a missing part of her had been filled, even if he was leaving soon.

That was the one thing they didn’t talk about; how the circus would to be leaving soon. Better to spend what time they had together thinking about happier things.

Laying in his arms after sex one night, Natasha listened to Clint’s even breathing and felt her confession on the tip of her tongue; it was only fair he knew her secret. But she swallowed it and drifted off to sleep.

The door to the diner opened and Natasha looked up to see Clint’s brother, Barney, walk in. “Hey, I’ll be right with you.” she said with a smile as she grabbed the plates from the table and quickly bussed them before heading behind the bar. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good…Natalia.” Barney said in a low tone even though they were the only ones at the bar. Ever since Clint had started ditching him after performances, Barney had wondered what was so special about the waitress those that went into Midnight saw him with. It had taken some digging, but he was able to get enough of the picture to fill in the blanks. She was good at being anonymous, but you couldn’t completely disappear.

Natasha paused at the name and how Barney said it, tightening her grip on the pitcher of water she was holding. Swallowing, she looked at him to see that he was smirking and it took all of her will power not to take the knife sitting next him and stab him with it. Taking a breath she tried to play it cool, shrugging while saying, “It’s Natasha.”

“Now it is. I have to say, the photo from the World’s Fair is my favorite. Although I’m partial to blondes anyways.” 

_Shit_. Of course he had to reference the one photo she couldn’t track down. Since he wasn’t buying her playing ignorant she might as well cut right to the chase. “What do you want?” Natasha asked sharply, putting a hand on her hip and glaring at him.

“I’ll keep it simple. Being around for as long as you have, probably have a lot of money saved up. Ten thousand and I’ll keep your little secret from Clint.”

“You’ll keep it from everybody you little fucker.” Natasha growled, not believing that he was blackmailing her.

“Whatever you say. Have it by tomorrow.” Barney gave her a wink while standing and left the diner like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Natasha watched him leave, gripping her hand so hard that it left crescent shaped indents in her skin when she finally relaxed. “ _He’s got nerve._ she thought to herself, trying to quickly figure out how to transfer the money that quickly. “Hey Madonna, I need the rest of the shift off.” she called back into the kitchen, knowing that her stay in Midnight was over.

Walking quickly to the house, Natasha burst inside and started to pack immediately. It didn’t take long, most of her things were easily packed up and in no time it looked like no one had ever been inside. Keys in hand Natasha paused, it was Clint’s night off and he was going to be here in a few hours. Not wanting to leave without a goodbye but couldn’t explain herself, Natasha pulled out her phone and shot him a quick message that she’d come down with the flu and had to cancel for tonight. Hoping that’d be enough until she was long gone, Natasha decided to wait until after dark to leave so she could say good-bye to Lemuel. Besides Fiji he was the only one who deserved an actual good-bye. 

Clint looked at the text from Natasha for the thousandth time and hoped that she was okay. “ _I’ll ask her tomorrow._ ” he thought as Barney walked into their trailer looking like he’d just landed the jackpot. “Where were you?” 

“Around.” Barney waved his hand in a circle while looking at what Clint was doing. “Ready for tonight?” 

“Yeah.” Clint sighed, still uncomfortable about robbing the tattoo parlor and wishing he’d protested at bit more. He never really liked stealing from places, but as Barney put it-they had to supplement their pay somehow. But this time he just got a bad feeling about the job and opened his mouth to tell Barney, but one look from his brother told Clint that he was going even if he was having doubts.

They waited until past midnight before heading into town, dressed all in black to avoid being seen should anyone be out at that hour. As usual the street was deserted, save for the dim light coming from the pawn shop. Nearing the building, Clint tried to still his pounding heart. “Barney.” he whispered as they paused on the other side of the street, making sure that no one was around.

“What?”

“Let’s forget the job. I overheard Swordsman saying he got the cash some other way. Let’s go back.”

“No.” Barney hissed, tightly gripping Clint shirt and pulling him close. “We are going to do this and actually have some fucking money for once. Now do your fucking job and be the lookout.”

Clint sighed and watched as Barney quietly ran across the street and broke into the building, closing the door behind him. Everything was quiet as Clint watched from his vantage point just far enough from the street light. Then the door to the pawn shop opened and Clint silently swore, instinctively moving farther from sight. Risking a glance, he saw the familiar red hair as it drew closer. “Nat?”

Natasha was ready to go, having said her goodbyes to Lemuel. Walking down the street she felt the hairs on her neck start to stand up and was instantly on guard. Then she heard Clint's voice and stopped, turning towards the alley. “Clint?” she asked, wondering what the hell was going on. “What are you doing here this late?”

Clint ran a hand through his hair and pulled Natasha into the alley. “Nat, I thought you were sick.”

“I-” She was cut off by the sound of an alarm screeching and realized where it was coming from. “What?”

“Shit.” Barney was going to kill him. Clint moved into the street in time to see Barney running out, bag half filled. “Barney!”

Natasha followed Clint into the light and saw that both him and Barney were dressed in black. Putting it all together she was instantly angry. “Really Clint?” she yelled while shoving Clint into the middle of the street. “Was this all part of the job? Use me to know when the best time to steal from us was?”

“No, Natasha I-” Clint started to explain but Natasha’s fist hitting his face interrupted him. Seeing black spots he stumbled back, almost tripping over his own feet.

“And _you_ -” Natasha turned to face Barney but cut off as Barney aimed his gun at Clint, who froze in the middle of them.

“Go ahead finish that sentence.” Barney said, knowing their escape window was closing. Or rather his. “Or should I tell Clint your little secret?”

Clint looked between Natasha and Barney, knowing that there was something he was missing. But the fact that his brother had a gun trained on him took precedence, “Barney, seriously?”

Barney gave Clint a shove to the ground and aimed the gun at his head. “Shut up Clint. You were never cut out for this-trying to talk me out of the job. I was gonna shoot you tonight anyways.”

“But-" Clint wasn’t able to finish his sentence as Natasha suddenly leapt towards Barney, pushing the gun away from Clint's head. It went off and Clint grunted as the bullet slammed into his shoulder and his head hit the pavement. His head ringing, Clint could hear the sounds of a struggle followed by an unearthly yell that gave him shivers (or that could be the shock setting in). Struggling to stay conscious, Clint dimly heard Barney screaming and then…nothing. 

“Clint!” Natasha yelled when she saw him lying in the street, turning her back as Lem finished Barney (because knowing how a vampire fed versus actually seeing it were two extremely different things) and ran towards him and seeing the bullet hole in his shoulder. “Clint!”

“Hm?” It was hard to focus but Clint felt Natasha start to put pressure on his wound and hissed in pain, “Christ that hurts.”

“Just hold on.” Natasha said while blinking back tears as the rest of the townspeople came running out to see what the commotion was about. “You’re going to be okay.”

—  
Clint’s shoulder was on fire, but he didn’t remember what he did to make it that way. And the bed he was on was much softer than the one in the trailer. Cracking an eye open he saw that he wasn’t in the trailer, it was Natasha’s room and it all came rushing back. Gingerly sitting up, Clint was about to test his movement when the door creaked open and Natasha stuck her head in.

“Hey, you’re up.” Natasha said in a quiet voice as she stepped into the room. “How do you feel?”

“Like I got run over by a truck. Is Barney okay?” Clint asked as he reached for the shirt that was on the table by the bed. 

Natasha was silent, not sure how to break the news to Clint. “What do you remember?” she asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Clint paused at Natasha’s tone and saw that she was staring at the floor like it held the answers to everything in the world. “Well…Barney wanted to fucking shoot me and something was making him yell like all hell…what the fuck is going on in this town?”

Natasha let out a small laugh at the statement. “It’s…complicated. Basically vampires, ghosts, and all the supernatural stuff they tell you is fake? All real. Some live in Midnight as a kind of sanctuary from the rest of the world. And we take care of our own.”

Clint waited for the part where Natasha told him that she was joking but the longer the silence stretched the more he realized she was serous. “…Okay then, this was enlightening. I need to get back to Carson’s and deal with the fallout.” He reached for the shirt again and awkwardly put it on without moving his shoulder any more than he had to.

“They left yesterday.” 

Clint paused at the statement, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion. “What do you mean ‘they left yesterday’?” Then he realized what she meant, “Because of what happened.”

“Yeah. The sheriff decided given the circumstances that Carson’s would leave early and he’s not going to press charges since it was Barney who actually robbed the store. You can stay here until you’re better.” Natasha stood and walked out of the room, giving Clint time to process everything.

Clint emerged some time later, the bandage peaking out slightly and his hair somewhat tamed. _‘We take care of our own’_ kept replaying over and over in his head, knowing that Barney was dead but at the same time not understanding why he was spared; he had as much to do with the events of last night as his brother. There was a cup of lukewarm coffee sitting on the table in the kitchen, so Clint put it in the microwave and stared at the tile floor while it heated up. 

“You won’t find the answers you’re looking for on the floor. Trust me I’ve looked.” Natasha said as she leaned a shoulder against the wall. 

“He was just going to kill me like that. You have an act with your brother for twenty years you think I’d see the signs.” Clint sighed and walked over to the table, slumping down into one of the chairs. “I…just…hell Barney.” 

Natasha went over to the microwave and pulled out the coffee, setting it in front of Clint before taking the seat opposite of him. “The Rev gave him a proper burial.”

“At least there was that.” Clint took a sip of the coffee, still lost in his own thoughts. “Last night…he said something about telling your secret. What did he mean by that?”

“And there is it.” Natasha thought as she watched Clint take another sip of coffee. “My real name is Natalia Alexandra Romanova and I was born in 1900.”

“Funny.” Clint smirked but the smile faded when he saw that Natasha was serious. “You're serous.”

“Yeah.” 

“And Romanov as in…”

“Yeah, those Romanov’s. They were my cousins.” 

“But you don’t look older than thirty. Not a good skin-care routine?” 

“Nope.”

“Then how…”

Natasha let a faint smile appear as she brushed a stray hair off of her face. “Wish I could tell you exactly, but I don’t know all of it myself. I vaguely remember my mother telling me the story of how when I was little a fortune teller blessed me and said I wouldn't die until I found what I was looking for. Y'know how vague prophesies generally go.”

“So when the Revolution happened…”

“We couldn’t get out of Russia, and basically I was taken to be trained as an assassin. Imagine my surprise when I fell from a ten story window and walked away without a scratch.”

“And all those photos aren’t of your aunt, but you.” Clint's first reaction to all of this was that this was one elaborate prank being pulled by Barney for some reason, but as he started to process it he was able to see how serous Natasha was about it all.

“Yeah. Downside of the internet is if you know where to look you can figure out that something's weird. Barney figured it out and tried to blackmail me. I was going to run but ran into you and...well you know the rest.”

“What am I to you?” The question had come out of left field, even for Clint. “You said that your soul mate was out there somewhere.”

“I don’t know if it’s you, but I can’t get you out of my head and I feel like I’ve known your forever. It’s weird but like you said that first night it feels like we were meant to meet.” Natasha swallowed, hoping that Clint wouldn’t bolt like so many others had. “I’ve spent so much time just avoiding people because it’s hard to watch them grow old and die while I’m left holding the pieces. But…I’m willing to try it, us that is. If you want.”

Clint was silent for a moment, letting everything that Natasha had told him sink in. But she was right, there was some connection or whatever between them and for the first time in a long while he didn’t have to follow Barney’s lead and could make a different call if he wanted to. Taking Natasha’s hand he gave it a squeeze. “Yeah, I’m willing to try.”


End file.
